A natural molecule boosts CAR-T therapy and turns cold tumors hot

MedicalXpress | Apr 29, 2026

CAR-T cell therapy works well in blood cancers, but many patients still become resistant. A key reason is the presence of CAR-T regulatory T cells (CAR-Tregs), which weaken immune responses. Therefore, selectively targeting CAR-Tregs while preserving CAR-T activity remains a major challenge. Now, a pharmaceutical research team has identified a natural compound, timosaponin AIII (TAIII), that selectively eliminates CAR-T regulatory T cells. The study is published in Nature Communications.